Canyon

by Michael P. Ghiglieri

Fasten your life jackets for a ride you'll never forget. Now the excitement of a raft trip through the Grand Canyon has been re-created by a seasoned whitewater guide with a passion to share one of the world's most fantastic journeys. Michael Ghiglieri, a professional river guide for more than 17 years, has written the first book to describe that trip from the modern boatman's point of view.

From Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek, Ghiglieri leads you down 226 miles of wild river and through some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth. Along the way, he navigates the Colorado River's dozens of notorious rapids—many of which drop fifteen feet or more—and shares the excitement of waves and boulders, thunder and foam. Recounting a real journey through this geological wonder, Canyon interweaves heart-pounding adventure with factual insights into the world of Grand Canyon. Between the rapids, Ghiglieri relates tales of river runners past and present, lessons in geology and wildlife, observations on the impact of Glen Canyon Dam, and stories of Native inhabitants, from Anasazi ancestors to Havasupai Rastafarians. This trip also offers more than its share of human drama for the passengers aboard, leaving them with tales of their own to tell.

"Running the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is to me the most impressive journey on our planet," writes Ghiglieri, "an adventure that leaves no traveler unchanged." For anyone who has ever shared or contemplated that adventure, Canyon recreates an unforgettable ride.

Genres: Travel

311 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

About the author

Michael P. Ghiglieri grew up at Lake Tahoe, Nevada as the great grandson of a Forty-niner, served as a US Army platoon sergeant during the Viet Nam era, then earned his Ph.D. in Ecology in 1979 from the University of California at Davis for his pioneering research on wild chimpanzees in Kiable Forest, Uganda. In addition to teaching university courses in primate behavior and ecology and in human evolution and ecology, he has directed several semesters-over-seas centers focusing on sustainable resource management (in Kenya, the Turks & Caicos, Palau, Far North Queensland, and Vancouver Island) and has worked as a wilderness river guide and EMT. Since 1974 he has run more than 660 commercial whitewater trips and also treks in Ethiopia, Java, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Sumatra, Tanzania, Turkey, and the USA. These include 140+, 2-week rowing or paddling trips through Grand Canyon and more than 43,000 miles of river overall, a few in the Canyon as an NPS ranger, plus several Kilimanjaro ascents.

Reviews

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly excellent - a little dated (1992) so the immediate-crisis type data obviously isn't current, but I suspect it's probably even worse... he also falls into a typical PhD trap of getting lost in the weeds regarding scientific theory (at least losing the non-technical reader). The 'flash-back' scenarios are mostly easy to follow, but occasionally wander... having been down the river, it was a pretty great reminiscence.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated for this book to end. I loved being with Michael P. Ghiglieri, the most knowledgeable of river wranglers in love with the Grand Canyon. Being a geologist as well as a good writer, he imparts a special understanding of the 2 billion year old canyon sharing the message of the striated walls written over time by the hand of the creator. He brings this knowledge in a light-hearted, easy to comprehend manner that anyone can understand. You get to be with him at the helm of his rubber craft as he maneuvers it through rapids that make the heart of the most experienced boatmen go pitty-pat! You hike with him to Eden like gardens sequestered in ancient slot-canyons and learn about the native peoples who made the canyon their home for the past 10,000 years. He also speaks about the environmental degradation to the canyon by extractive industry and the hydro-electric boys. This is a wonderful, comprehensive book for anyone who wants know the true depth of the Grand Canyon.

www.lindaballouauthor.com

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a fellow river-runner, and I read it because I am interested in rafting/kayaking the Grand Canyon. In fact, the book does much more than give the reader an idea of what to expect on a river-running trip. Intermixed with the author's own experiences of running the Canyon is a wealth of history, geology, natural history, conservation, and socio-politics. As veteran river guide, Ghiglieri can certainly tell a good story, and maintains quite a repertoire of them—this much I expected. The pleasant surprise was how much I learned from this thoughtful science professor about the parts of the canyon lying above and beyond the water's edge, which are, indeed, far greater than the river itself. I'm hooked!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting a book about a rive trip and instead got 1/3 river stories, 1/3 history (native American and the history of the river runs of the last 150 years) and 1/3 geology and archeology.

Not only is this interesting in each of these three aspects, but the book makes a compelling case for conservation of the Grand Canyon and the environment in general.

I recommend this to any river enthusiast, environmentalist, and anyone looking to read something different.

[John Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read. Primarily would interest those who are going or have gone down the river.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if you raft the Grand Canyon - parts geology, anthropology, adventure and folklore. Not as interesting if not rafting the canyon.

[Ted Haussman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Death in the Canyon, but Ghiglieri does a nice job of telling stories, exploring history, and describing a journey down the Colorado and through Grand Canyon

[Don Gubler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read, very articulate and engaging. Would have preferred more stories at the expense of technical details available elsewhere.